Biking Michigan's Hart-Montague Trail

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Hart-Montague Rail Trail

Basics:

last updated: October 2015
Number of times we have biked this trail:4

Location: From Montgue to Hart Michigan
Distance: 37.5 kilometres (including White Lake Pathway)
Surface: Paved
Width: 3 metres (10 feet)
Grade: Flat with very gradual slopes
Conditions of trail: many cracks -- roller bladers would find it dangerous
Parking: beside the trail at Whitehall, Montague, Rothbury, New Era, Shelby and Hart
Water: Available at washrooms in each town
Washrooms: Flush toilets: at Hart, Rothbury and Montague and the library in Whitehall: Pit toilets in Shelby and New Era (flush toilets at Country Dairy farm store on trail)
Rest Areas: Each of the towns have picnic tables, benches and often a covered area. There are benches and lookouts along the way as well.
Trail marking: At each road crossing. Mileage markers on post


�Garbage Bins: Each town

The Hart-Montague Bicycle Trail

opened in 1988 and was Michigan’s first rails to trails. Although it is called Hart-Montague it has actually been extended beyond the Hart Trailhead to John Gurney Park on Hart Lake to the North and as of October 2011 you could continue south to the White Lake Pathway and the Fred Meijer Berry Junction Trail which in turn will soon connect with the Muskegon Lakeshore Trail, the Musketawa etc etc!!

In the south it extends beyond the Montague trailhead to the library in Whitehall for a total distance of 38 kilometres. (This section is called the White Lake Pathway. A description is included in the separate blog "Fred Meijer Berry Junction Trail")




It is a scenic trail with fields of asparagus, cherries, apples and other crops including Christmas Trees. Bicycle shops are located on or very close to the trail.




You can park at the White Lake/Montague chamber of commerce/tourist office by the bridge in Whitehall. If you turn left you will be on the White Lake Pathway.

Turn right and at the Montague trail head by the campground, keep right again. If you take the branch to the left (at the campground) the trail that goes into Montague is called the "Medbery Bike Trail" and extends for about 2-3 km.

If you are camping, the Trailways Municipal campground offers a good deal and can’t get much more convenient to the trail. www.Trailwaycamprgound.com 4540 Dowling Street adjacent to the “World’s Largest operational weathervane”




Keep right at the campground to Rothbury, at mile 16 which has a community park with picnic areas, flush toilets and playground




New Era, is at mile 12 and has a picnic area, with pit toilets. Easy access to town services. A little north of New Era is the Country Dairy store located on the trail, with a restaurant, washrooms, and ICE CREAM! (see photos)




Shelby, at mile 8 has a covered picnic shelter with pit toilets and water available. Town services are easily accessible. From here to Hart you will pass by apple orchards and asparagus fields.




Hart, at mile 1 has flush toilets, water, picnic benches and a large parking lot as well maps and mileage pointers. You can continue through the town to the John Gurney Park on Hart Lake.

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Photos

New Era
dairy